UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday filed her nomination papers from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. She submitted her papers to the DM in presence of her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and son Rahul Gandhi.

The three leaders also conducted a havan at the Congress’ office ahead of undertaking a massive roadshow before Sonia files her nomination.

The BJP has fielded Dinesh Pratap Singh against her who quit the grand old party recently and joined the saffron party. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-RLD combine has not fielded any candidate in this Congress bastion.

Voting in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven different phases between April 11 and May 19. Rae Bareli will go to polls in the fifth phase on May 6. Results will be out on May 23.

In 2014, Sonia Gandhi had won from here, defeating BJP’s Ajay Agarwal by a margin of 3.50 lakh votes. Besides Rae Bareli, of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress had pocketed the Amethi seat. Sonia’s son Rahul had won from here.

In this election, the Samajwadi Party-BSP-RLD are contesting elections in an agreement. The parties didn’t include Congress in the alliance. However, they left Rae Bareli and Amethi seats for the Congress.